Cops look for ‘bombs’ in south Mumbai

On the day of the exercise,Deputy Commissioner of Police,Zone I,Ravindra Shisve sends a message through the wireless communication at the beginning of the operation. Members of Shisve’s staff in plainclothes then go around south Mumbai before picking a spot to place the baggage and slip away.

“We have asked locals to become our eyes and ears. We have three beats in our police station and our men develop 40-50 people on each beat who will inform them of suspicious activity,” said Vinod Sawant,senior inspector,Colaba police station.

Sawant’s men have been successful in tracing all of Shivse’s bombs placed at locations Pakistani gunmen had been to five years ago.

“So far,we found bombs outside Leopold Cafe,the Taj hotel,Gokul restaurant and Regal cinema. Ever since 26/11,we’ve been on alert 24 hours a day,” said Sawant.

Sawant’s men had an easier time last week,when they recovered a dummy bomb at a paan shop near Gateway of India barely an hour into the exercise. “Friday’s bomb was placed close to where police officers sit at frisking counters of the Gateway. But as the person who placed the bomb is also a police officer,he chose an appropriate time to do it and escaped,” said Mandlik.

He acknowledged that there was a faint possibility of a bomb being found at the Gateway on the second consecutive day. However,for sub-inspector Sampat Mane,looking for abandoned baggage around the structure teeming with tourists lugging bags of every colour,the task was nothing short of uphill.

Although Mandlik was silent about what would happen if they didn’t find the bomb within the stipulated two hours,he was visibly relieved when he was informed that the bomb had been found.